Monsterland by Sal Mance

In a twisted utopian future, one woman fights to survive a hellish 24 hours of predation in Monsterland by Sal Mance.

Claire Rutherford has worked hard to heal in a new city after the brutal loss of her husband, while also navigating the fickle moods of her fame-seeking teenage daughter. Life turns far darker when an ominous black box appears at their door, marking Claire as one of twenty sacrifices that will be hunted down during Fowler’s Day – a sadistic and divisive American tradition. Employing unexpected allies, cutting-edge firepower, and more training than any killer would expect from a single mother, this determined survivor is anything but easy prey.

A sinister mash-up of The Hunger Games and The Lottery, this post-collapse portrait of America is shiver-inducing about the state of the contemporary world. Weaving shadowy themes of political retribution, class struggle, and anarchistic instincts, the novel is at once a gripping piece of social commentary and a relentlessly intense thriller. The nebulous motives of Claire’s companions and protectors, combined with the constant tension infused in the writing, make this a nail-biting story of psychological suspense peppered with gritty bursts of violence, while the social critique is suspenseful in its own right.

Although the prose would benefit from an edit for some missing words and unnatural phrasing, this chilling read offers a timely dose of dystopic terror, and a grim reminder of the unholy union between desperate times and evil deeds.